Friday, August 4, 2017

Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to decide what to buy when you go shopping?

Ready to go to the grocery store prepared?

For those just starting the Ketogenic Diet, it is completely understandable to feel intimidated with you step into the market. Maybe you’re not sure what counts as keto and you want this diet to be successful.

Stop driving yourself crazy. Below, I’ll share with you exactly what you need to buy when you walk into a grocery store. I’ll also explain the difference between the Ketogenic Diet and other trendy diets. No more guesswork, get ready for only great results on the Ketogenic Diet.

Breaking Sugar Addiction with Ketosis

When people first begin the Ketogenic Diet, many have thoughts of never being able to give up those sugar-based carbohydrates. The cookies, the pies, and the snacks that you put in your cart while shopping may seem like they can never be parted with but the truth is that you’ll quickly forget about them on the Ketogenic Diet. Here’s why:

Believe it or not, once you have fully entered a state of ketosis, your body will no longer crave those sugar-based carbohydrates. It may seem crazy but science has revealed that sugar is addictive. This is why those sugar-based carbs are your go-to foods when you’re having a bad day or when you want to celebrate. They make you feel good because they fulfill that addiction high. (1)

Studies have confirmed time and time again that sugar is addictive. It should come as no surprise that once sugar gets the boot, your body can break its addiction to sweetness. Outside of studies, you can chat with any number of successful people on the Ketogenic Diet and they will tell you the same thing: sugar loses its hold once you are in a ketogenic state.

Ketogenic Diet vs. Atkins Diet

One other hesitation that people have about diving into the Ketogenic Diet is that it may sound like other diets they tried and were not successful with.

The Atkins Diet is also a low carbohydrate diet; however, it also promotes two things that are problematic. First, the Atkins Diet allows for more carbohydrates than a Ketogenic Diet would. This means that weight gain via carbohydrate intake is still possible.

Second, Atkins focuses on protein as the primary macronutrient, not fat. Glucose can be manufactured from excess protein. This means that you may still be encouraging weight gain.

Many people who tried the Atkins Diet often had no roadmap to follow outside of “eat more meat, less carbohydrates.” In response, these same people began loading up on meats that were high in cooked saturated fats. It’s no surprise then that their cardiovascular risk numbers like cholesterol increased.

The Ketogenic Diet may be fat-focused but it focuses on healthy fats. In fact, studies show that the Ketogenic Diet can help to improve cardiovascular risk factors, not increase them. (2)

Ketogenic Diet vs. Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet is another trendy way of eating that is often compared to the Ketogenic Diet. The Paleo Diet is a great diet, especially because it helps to teach people how to eat whole foods, not processed junk.

The Paleo Diet, while a great teaching tool for first time dieters, doesn’t capture nearly the same scientifically studied benefits as the Ketogenic Diet. This is because being Paleo doesn’t mean you’re low-carb. The focus with being Paleo is on foods that were available to ancient peoples. That includes carbohydrate-loaded vegetables such as sweet potatoes and fruits such as apples.

What’s more, the Paleo Diet doesn’t have a focus on fat-intake. It’s more of an idea of being focused on healthy fats, not concentrating 80% of your daily intake on fat. Someone on a Paleo Diet could never achieve a state of ketosis for the reasons that their carbohydrate intake is too high and their fat intake is too low.

Again, Paleo isn’t bad but if you want to experience all of the benefits associated with ketosis, you need to be on the Ketogenic Diet.

All of the foods that I’ve listed below are considered “Ketone-Friendly Foods.” This means that they will help you enter a state of ketosis, not drive you away from it. Buy the following foods based on your preferences and personalized portions.

Oils

Your focus on a Ketogenic Diet is healthy fat. You will be getting some of that fat from animal sources but you need to focus first on getting fat from low protein options. Remember that too much protein can be converted into glucose.

Coconut oil

Extra virgin olive oil

Avocado oil

Nuts / Seeds

Another fat-focused whole food, nuts and seeds can supply a great amount of fatty acids in small portions. Focus on raw and organic, when possible.

Macadamia

Brazil

Pecans

Almonds

Chia seeds

Flax seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Meats

The focus here is on organic and grass-fed meat options that also provide you with healthy fatty acids. Protein is important but you don’t want to overdo it.

Chicken breast

Steak

Ground beef

Salmon

Bacon

Pork chop

Dairy

It can be hit or miss with carbohydrate content and dairy products. Try to focus on a moderate consumption of dairy, instead focusing on oils, nuts, seeds, and meats as the bulk of your diet.

Greek yogurt (sugar free)

Aged cheeses

Heavy cream

Cottage cheese

Cream cheese

Mozzarella

Vegetables

While some vegetables do contain high carbohydrate profiles, we’ll be focusing on dark, leafy greens while avoiding high-starch options to keep you in ketosis.

Spinach

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Lettuce

Bell peppers

Fruits

Famously packed with carbs, very selective fruits are allowed and only in small quantities.

Blackberries

Raspberries

Desserts

You can find plenty of recipes on homemade ketogenic desserts. Here are a few easy to snack-on items that you may want to pick up while you’re at the store.

Raw cacao nibs

Kale chips

Conclusion

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